Door closure



F. P. COOPER Nov. 15, 1938.

DOOR CLOSURE Filed NOV. 21, 1953 5 Sheets-Sheet l F .3 OR

INVE awk BY ATTORNEY-5 W lmlwlllli wrl mlm F. P. COOPER DOOR CLOSURE Nov, 15, 1938.

' Filed Nov. 21, 1953 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 LNVENTOR BY M 0 W \MEWW NOV. 15, 1938. COQPLER 2,136,611

DOOR CLOSURE Filed NOV. 21, 1935 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR And/k ATTORNEYJ.

Patented Nov. 15, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE DOOR CLOSURE Frank P. Cooper, Elizabeth, N. J., assignor, by

mesne assignments, to Ralph E. Ogden, Mountainville, N. Y.

Application November 21, 1933, Serial No. 698,957

18 Claims.

free access to a steamship pier to visitors who desire to greet passengers or to see them off. For this reason it is customary to place wooden gates across the door openings at the time that ships are docking or sailing. These are of flimsy construction and are not a part of the door, being lifted into position when required. The device of this invention provides a barrier strong enough to withstand the surge of the crowd of visitors and which is automatically operated as a part of the door at times when it is not needed as a barrier, at which times it functions as a part of the door closure.

Door closures of the type of this invention. are large and are counterbalanced to facilitate the opening and closing thereof. The weight is distributed differently when the lower or barrier section is left in position than when this section is raised with the rest of the door, thus throwing the-door out of balance.

This invention has for its salient object to provide a door closure of the character described so constructed and arranged and so counterbalanced as to operate easily and effectively.

Another object of the invention is to provide a door of the character described with simple and eficient counterbalancing mechanism so constructed and arranged as to effectively counterbalance the door when the door is raised and lowered with or without separable barrier section.

Another object of the invention is to provide a sectional door comprising a door section having a barrier section detachably connected thereto and means controlledby the barrier section for determining the position of suchdoor section during the raising and lowering operations.

Another object of the invention is to provide a door comprising an upper section, an intermedi ate section and a barrier section detachably connected to the intermediate-section and means operable when the barrier section isleft in closed position and the intermediate section is raised to so position the intermediate section that the center of gravity thereof will be properly located with respect to the upper door section to most effectively balance the door during the opening and closing thereof.

Another object of the invention is to provide a door section and barrier section with a. plurality of independently operable latching means and with single means for releasing said latching means.

Another object of the invention is to provide a barrier section with a finished rail along the upper edge against or on which visitors can lean when the barrier is left in place and the door has. been raised.

Further objects of the invention will appear from the following specification taken in connection with the drawings which form a part of this application, and in which Fig, 1 is a side elevation, partially diagrammatic, with the door guides removed showing a door constructed, arranged and counterbalanced in accordance with the invention, the door being shown in closed position;

Fig. '2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 but showing the intermediate section raised to overlie the upper section and the barrier section in its closed position;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. l but showing the intermediate and barrier section raised to overlie the upper section;

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 but shows the door sections disposed midway between their vertical and horizontal position;

Fig. 5 is a view similar .to Fig. 2 but illustrates the upper and intermediate door sections in open position;

Fig. 6 is a detail sectional elevation showing one of the latching mechanisms for latching the intermediate and barrier sections together;

Fig. '7 is a View similar to Fig. 6 but shows a latch swung outwardly to releasing position;

Fig. 8 isa view similar to Figs. 6 and 7 but shows the latch sliding into automatic engageinent as the intermediate and barrier sections are brought together in closing the door; and

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary elevational View showing the latches and operating mechanism therefor.

The invention briefly describedconsists of a. door comprising an upper section, an intermediate section movable to a position overlying the upper section and a barrier section detachably connected to the intermediate section and forming a continuation thereof. Means is provided for so positioning the intermediate section on the upper section that its center of gravity will be so located with respect to the upper section as to give the best balance when the barrier section is left in closed position and the intermediate section and upper section are swinging. This means is so constructed and arranged as to be held inoperative when the barrier section is raised with the intermediate section, but to operate when the barrier section is left behind.

The intermediate section is detachably connected to the barrier section by a plurality of independently operable latching means arranged to automatically move to latching position, but single means is provided for releasing the latches when the intermediate section is to be raised independently of the barrier section.

Separate counterbalancing means is provided for the barrier section and counterbalancing' means is also provided for-assisting in raising the intermediate section to a position overlying the upper section and in swinging the overlying sections laterally to open position.

Further details of the invention will appear from the following description.

In the particular embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawings the door mechanism is shown as link supported, but it should v be understood that the invention is equally applicable to other types of doors such as doors which are guided by tracks or other means.

In the drawings there is shown a door comprising an upper section A, an intermediate section B and a lower or barrier section C which is detachably connected to the section B. The upper section A is supported by links In which are connected to the door section by pins l I positioned in slots [2 at the lower ends of the links. The links are mounted at their upper ends on fixed pivots I3.

A sheave I4 is carried by the upper section intermediate its upper and lower edges and a sheave I5 is carried by the lower edge of the upper section A.

The intermediate section B and barrier section C are disposed when closed, in guides 20 disposed at the lateral edges of the sections and these sections are movable vertically to the position shown in Fig. 3, or in other words, to a position overlying the upper door section. The upper section A is provided with suitable guides for receiving sections B and C as they are raised and has an abutment 2| at the upper edge thereof to limit the vertical movement of the sections B and C.

The sections A and B are counterweighted by a weight W which has secured thereto a cable 22 which passes over a sheave 23 mounted on a fixed pivot 24 and downwardly around and beneath the sheave I5 and thence upwardly and over the sheave M. The end of the cable is connected at 25 to the section B.

The barrier section C is separately counterweighted by a counterweight X and cable 26 which passes around a sheave 21 mounted on a stationary pivot 28 and around a second sheave 29 on a stationary pivot 30 and is attached at 3| to the barrier section. I

The counterweights W and X are so proportioned as to nearly counterbalance the door so that very little effort is required to raise and lower the door sections. The doors may be raised and lowered in any suitable manner as by means of a chain 32 which passes around a sprocket 33 mounted on a spindle 34 supported in a stationary bearing, the spindle having secured thereto a pinion 35 which meshes with a gear 36 mounted on a spindle 31 on which is also mounted a pinion 38 which meshes with a gear 39 carried by the spindle 24 which also carries the sheave 23.

As the cable or chain 32 is pulled to rotate the spindle 24 and sheave 23 in a counterclockwise direction, it will cause the counterweight cable to raise the door sections to the position shown in Fig. 3 and then successively to the position shown in Fig. 5.

In order to effectively balance the door means is provided for so positioning the intermediate section B when the barrier section is left behind that the section B will be properly balanced with respect to the upper section A. This means consists of a latch 40 pivoted at 41 to the door section B and resiliently actuated in .a clockwise direction by a spring 42. This movement of the latch is limited by a stop 43 positioned to engage a lug 44 which extends upwardly from the latch 45. The latch 46 has a downwardly extending finger 45 which is engaged by a pin 46 carried by the barrier section C when the barrier section is latched to the intermediate section B. However, when the intermediate section is raised without the barrier section the latch 48 will move away from the pin 46 and will be actuated by the spring to a position in which the lug 44 engages the stop 43. When the latch is so disposed a hook 4'! on the latch will engage a keeper 48 carried by the upper section A and located at some predetermined position between the upper and lower edges thereof. The keeper 48 is disposed between the upper and lower edges of the section A and the engagement between the keeper and the hook 41 will position the intermediate section B and its center of gravity between the upper and lower edges of the upper section, thus properly balancing the door when the barrier section is not raised. However, when the barrier section C is raised with the intermediate section B the hook 47 will pass keeper 48, and the two sections will rise to fully superimposed position, as shown in Fig. 3.

The barrier section is detachably connected to the intermediate section B by a plurality of latches 50. Each latch is independently mounted on a pivot 5| and is resiliently actuated in a direction to latch these door sections together by means of a spring 52. The barrier section C has secured thereto a hook 53 adapted to be engaged by each latch. Although the latches are independently actuated into latching position means is provided for simultaneously releasing the latches, this means comprising a shaft 54 having a pair of lugs 55 and 56 carried thereby and adapted to engage upwardly extending tails 51 carried by the latches 50. The handle 58 at one end of the shaft facilitates the operation thereof. When the intermediate section B is lowered the latches 50 will automatically snap under the hooks 53 to the position shown in Fig. 6. Thereafter, unless the shaft 54 is rotated in a direction to release the latches the raising of the section B will automatically cause the barrier section to be raised.

The barrier section is preferably provided with a finished rail 59 along the upper edge thereof which provides a clean leaning rail for the visitors. The hand rail 59 is protected when the door is closed by an enclosure on the lower end of the intermediate door section B, which in the form of the invention shown consists of an inverted channel iron bar 59' having downwardly extending flanges at the front and rear edges thereof. The rail is preferably made of polished wood and is removable and replaceable. A weather-proof joint is provided by the insertion of a rubber gasket 60. Rubbing strips 6| protect the rail from abrasion by the inter-section latches.

Operation If the barrier section is to be raised with the intermediate section the latches 53 are left in the position shown in Fig. 4 and as the chainilll is operated the sections B and C will be first raised from the position shown in Fig. l to the position shown in Fig. 3 in which these sections overlie the upper section A. Further operation of the lifting chain will then cause the door sections to swing away from the door header laterally and inwardly tothe wide open position shown in Fig. 5. (This figure, however, showing only the upper and intermediate section in open position).

If the barrier section is to be left behind or in its lower closed position the latches 5! will be released by the operation of the shaft E i and the intermediate section B will be raised alone. This section, however, will be held intermediate the upper and lower edges of the upper section A by the engagement of the latch hook 41 with the keeper 48. After these parts have engaged, further lifting movement of the chain will cause the sections A and B to swing laterally and inwardly to open position.

Although one specific embodiment of the invention has been particularly shown and described, it will be understood that the invention is capable of modification and that changes in the construction and in the arrangement of the various cooperating parts may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention, as expressed in the following claims.

What I claim is:

l. A door comprising an upper section, an intermediate section movable to a position overlying said upper section, said"overlying section and upper section being movable laterally and inwardly to open position, a barrier section below and detachably connected to the intermediate section and movable therewith, means for mov ing said door sections vertically and laterally to open position, and means controlled by the barrier section for determining the overlying posi tion of the intermediate section on the upper sections.

2. A door comprising an upper section, an intermediate section movable to a position over-- lying said upper section, said overlying section and upper section being movable laterally and inwardly to open position, means for supporting and guiding said sections in their lateral and inward movement to open position, a barrier section below and detachably connected to the intermediate section and movable therewith, means for moving said door sections vertically and laterally to open position, and means controlled by the barrier section for determining the over lying position of the intermediate section on the upper sections.

3. A door comprising an upper section, an intermediate section movable to a position overlying said upper section, said overlying section and upper section being movable laterally and inwardly to open position, a barrier section below and detachably connected to the intermediate section and movable therewith, means for moving said door sections vertically and laterally to open position, and means controlled by the barrier section for determining the overlying position of the intermediate section on the upper sections, said position determining means including a member on the intermediate section, a coacting member on the upper section and means on the barrier section for preventing coaction between said memberswhen the barrier section is connected to and raised with the intermediate section.

4.' A door comprising an upper section, an intermediate section movable to a position overlying said upper section, said overlying section and upper section being movable laterally and inwardly to open position, a barrier section below and detachably connected to the intermediate section and movable therewith, means for moving said door sections vertically and laterally to open position, and means controlled by the barrier section for determining the overlying position of the intermediate section on the upper sections, said position determining means in cluding a latch member on the intermediate section, a coacting member on the upper section and means on the barrier section for preventing coaction between said members when the barrier section is connected to and raised with the intermediate section.

57 A door comprising an upper section, an intermediate section and a barrier section below and detachably connected to the intermediate section, said intermediate and barrier sections being movable together to a position overlying said upper section, said upper and overlying sections being movable as a unit laterally and inwardly, counterweighting means connected to said intermediate section above the bottom thereof and operable successively to aid in lifting the intermediate section to a position overlying the upper section and to raise and move said sections laterally to open position, and separate counterweighting means for the barrier section.

6. A door comprising an upper section, an intermediate section and a barrier section below and detachably connected to the intermediate 0 section, said intermediate and barrier sections being movable together to a position overlying said upper section, said upper and overlying sections being movable as a unit laterally and inwardly, and counterweighting means operable successively to aid in lifting the intermediate section to a position overlying the upper section and to raise and move said sections laterally to open position, said counterweighting means being 'con nected to the intermediate section intermediate the upper and lower edges thereof and being applied to the upper section adjacent the lower edge thereof.

'7. A door comprising an upper section, an intermediate section and a barrier section below and detachably connected to the intermediate section, said intermediate and barrier sections being movable together to a position overlying said upper section, said upper and overlying sections being movable as a unit laterally and inwardly, counterweighting means operable successively to aid in lifting the intermediate section to a position overlying the upper section and to raise and move said sections laterally to open position, a sheave connected to the upper section adjacent the lower edge thereof, a sheave connected to the upper section intermediate the upper and lower edges, and a cable connected to said counterweighting means extending around the lower sheave and over the intermediate sheave and connected to the intermediate section.

8. In a door closure, a door section, a barrier section below said door section, means for detachably connecting said sections together, said barrier section having a finishing hand rail along the upper edge thereof and means extending across the door section and overlapping the finishing rail for protecting said rail.

9. In a door closure, a door section, a barrier section below said door section, said barrier section having a hand rail at the upper edge thereof, means arranged to extend below said rail for detachably connecting the barrier section to the other door section and means carried by and extending across the door section and overlapping said rail for protecting the rail.

10. In a door closure, a door section, a barrier section below said door section, said barrier section having a hand rail at the upper edge detachably connected therewith, means arranged to extend below said rail for detachably connect ing the barrier section to the other door section and means carried by and extending across the door section and overlapping said rail for protecting the rail.

1 In a door closure, a door section, a barrier section below said door section, said barrier section having a hand rail at the upper edge thereof, said rail having a reinforcement on the upper edge, means including a latch, arranged to engage and snap over said reinforcement, for securing said sections together and means carried by and extending across the door section and overlapping said rail for protecting the rail.

12. In a door closure, a door section, a barrier section below said door section, said barrier sec- 1 tion having a hand rail at the upper edge detachably connected thereto, means for detachably connecting the barrier section to the other door section and means carried by and extending across the door section and overlapping said rail for protecting the rail.

13. In a door closure, a door section, a barrier section below said door section, said barrier section having a hand rail at the upper edge thereof, the lower edge of said first named section having a flange extending across the full width of said section overlapping said rail, and means for detachably connecting the barrier section to the other door section.

14. In a door closure, a door section, a barrier section below said door section, said barrier section having a hand rail at the upper edge thereof, a packing gasket between the rail and upper edge of the barrier section, and means for detachably connecting the barrier section to the other door section.

15. A door comprising an upper section, an intermediate section and a barrier section below and detachably connected to the intermediate section, said intermediate and barrier sections being movable together to a position overlying said upper section, said upper and overlying sections being movable as a unit laterally and inwardly, counterweighting means operable successively to aid in lifting the intermediate section to a position overlying the upper section and to raise and move said sections laterally to open position, a sheave connected to the upper section adjacent the lower edge thereof, a second sheave connected to the pp e a a cable connected to said counterweighting means extending around the lower sheave and over the second sheave and connected to the intermediate section.

16. In a combined door and guard, the combination with an upper swinging leaf, of a lower leaf slidable between a position alongside the upper leaf to swing therewith and a position below the upper leaf, said lower leaf comprising upper and lower sections, and means connected to one of the sections for sliding both to and from a position alongside the upper leaf and swinging both leaves, the upper section of the lower leaf being separable from the lower section and movable individually to and from a position alongside the upper leaf, the top of the lower section having a hand rail and the bottom of the upper section having an enclosure to receive the same when the sections are together.

17. A door comprising an upper section, an intermediate section and a barrier section below and detachably connected to the intermediate section, said intermediate and barrier sections being movable together to a position overlying said upper section, said upper and overlying sections being movable as a unit laterally and inwardly, and counterweighting means connected to said intermediate section above the bottom thereof and operable successively to aid in lifting the intermediate section to a position overlying the upper section and to raise and move said sections laterally to open position,

18. In combination, a door comprising a pair of door sections disposed in a door opening, one above the other, the lower door section having a hand rail on the upper end thereof and the upper door section having an enclosure on the bottom thereof adapted to receive and protect said hand rail when the door is closed.

FRANK P. COOPER. 

